Member States over-confidently assume reaching 2020 targets thanks to bio-energy

Preliminary analysis of the National Renewable Energy Action Plans shows that Member States count on wood to cover a high proportion of their 2020 Renewable Energy Targets. But are the plans realistic? Will they actually be implemented?

In a detailed analysis of the national plans, CEPI found out that the bio-energy chapters of some of them were based on flawed conversion factors and measurement units, hence suggesting that the national renewable energy targets would be achievable by 2020.

According to the plans, given that one third of the total production of energy from renewable sources will be based on forest biomass, 333 million m³ of wood extracted from European forests will be necessary - more than twice the annual wood use of the entire European pulp and paper industry.

“The European Union now has the responsibility of verifying the submitted plans and making sure that they are realistically feasible. Or else the Member States should be requested to amend them”, says Bernard de Galembert, CEPI’s Forest Director.

He adds: “The European Commission will also have to monitor the implementation of the plans and its conformance to the national trajectories towards the 2020 targets, as well as the practical measures the Member States have to put in place.”

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is of the opinion that increasing demand for solid biomass for energy purposes cannot be met only by European forestry alone but requires the production of solid biomass on agricultural land by planting new perennial non-food crops. In that context, the starting review of the CAP in connection with the new EU budget perspective offers an opportunity to promote and support both the boosting of new potentials and a better mobilisation of feedstocks. The recently adopted Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy by 2050 confirms the role of the future CAP in addressing the increased bio-energy contribution of agriculture and forestry[1].

It is clear as well that several Member States will rely on imports, including from non-EU countries, to achieve their renewable energy targets. Imported feedstocks for energy should match the level of sustainability of domestically sourced ones. Harmonised and binding sustainability criteria for solid biomass based on credible and recognised processes such as Forest Europe[2] are, therefore, needed along with strong implementation guidelines and forceful monitoring if reaching 2020 targets is to be coherent with the Commission’s flagship initiatives for sustainable and inclusive growth.